Trump Recalls Killing Of Armenians, Doesn’t Call It Genocide

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with the National Association of Manufacturers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Friday, March 31, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In this March 31, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with the National Association of Manufacturers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Slim majorities of Americans favor... In this March 31, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with the National Association of Manufacturers in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. Slim majorities of Americans favor independent investigations into Trump’s relationship with the Russian government and possible attempts by Russia to influence last year’s election according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) MORE LESS
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is recalling the death and suffering of more than 1 million Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, without describing it as genocide.

Such a declaration would anger Turkey, whose cooperation Trump seeks in Syria.

Trump says in a statement that the World War I-era killing of Armenians represents one of the 20th century’s worst mass atrocities, and a “dark chapter” in history.

He adds that remembering will “prevent them from occurring again.”

The issue also confronted Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, and other presidents.

Obama promised as a candidate to describe the killing as genocide, if elected. But he repeatedly stopped short of doing so once in office.

Samantha Power, Obama’s U.N. ambassador, however, did describe it as genocide during a speech in late 2016.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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